Love in the Moment
by Iesh
Summary: A story about those few moments where there could have been something between Marlene and Sirius, where their feelings could have taken root and blossomed in a love story. A story about those moments which slipped out of their hands no matter how strongly they held on. Sirius/Marlene. Written for 5 Drabbles Competition Round 3
1. A Moment Of Warmth

**A Moment of Warmth**

The winter wind howled, trapped between the walls of the derelict buildings. The roof above them creaked ominously under the assault of the enraged gust. But all Marlene could hear was the rattling sound of her chattering teeth. She desperately pulled the beige cloak around her in a futile attempt to ward off the winter chill.

Marlene froze as a warm quilt enveloped her. It took her a moment to realise that it was a ridiculously large and woolly sweater. She turned and looked at her surprisingly quiet mission partner. Sirius grinned at her, his bare hands nonchalantly pressed against his body (though the goosebumps covering his pale arms betrayed his false bravado). Scowling at his cheeky smile, she turned back to pointlessly gaze at their target through the heavy snowfall.

Maybe it was the soft heartbeat against her back, maybe it was the gratitude for the sweater or maybe the chill had truly addled her mind, but at that particular moment, Marlene believed that Sirius Black wasn't as bad as she had thought. Melting in the embracing warmth, she fiddled with the stray threads of the sweater. It was, unsurprisingly, a Gryffindor red with patterns of zooming golden bludgers. The deep colours stood against the bleak and dull surroundings. They reminded her of a laughing Sirius lounging in the common room and wearing this same sweater. A small smile appeared on her pink lips.

"Thinking about me, McKinnon?" The warm husky words brushed against the nape of her neck, tingling her skin. It kindled an unknown flame at the pit of her stomach.

"You wish, Black," she scowled while fervently praying that he didn't see her blushing cheeks.

"Yes, I do." The words only fuelled the strange fire rousing inside her. The heat spread through her body. For a delirious moment, emboldened by the raging fire, she let go of her indifferent scowl. She opened her lips to speak. But at the same time, a shout reverberated through the alley.

"Bombarda!"

The trash cans beside them exploded. They were discovered. Exchanging spells and hexes with the arriving Death Eaters, they quickly fled from the scene. But that moment of cheeky grin and emboldening flame was left under the roof of the dingy pub.

* * *

Written for 5 Drabbles Competition Round 3

Pairing: Sirius/Marlene and Prompt: Sweater

Written for Blackinnon Competition

Level: Yellow (no prompts)

Written for Unusual Pairings

Pairing: Sirius/Marlene

Written for Prompts Galore Challenge

Prompt: Quilt

Written for School of Prompts

Prompt: Beige


	2. A Pink-Tinged Moment

**A Pink-Tinged Moment**

Sometimes, Sirius was the palest of pinks, like the scar that ran below his left ear, a faint tear in his armour. He would always hide it behind his thick black curls; it was like he had convinced himself that it didn't even exist. But Marlene had caught glimpses of it when he had let his guard down. The one time she asked about it, his lips turned as thin as the scar and his eyes as pained. He didn't answer and she never asked again. But her eyes would always seek another glance at the pink hiding behind the black.

Sirius was, at times, the hot pink braided bracelet that he always wore on his right wrist. It had once been a bright red, probably to flaunt his Gryffindor loyalty in front of his Slytherin relatives. But with time, the crimson bled out, revealing the hidden bright pink. However, she doubted that he had even noticed the colour change. He would anxiously fiddle with it when nervous about a tricky prank; he would mindlessly munch on it when bored in Binn's class; he would harshly tug on it when secretly annoyed at his friends. Sometimes, his fingers would gently brush against the hot pink when he looked at her. Marlene never knew what it meant.

Sirius Black was the warm pink blushes, accompanied by that hopelessly cocky grin. It was like a soft kiss of untouched boyhood innocence, which he had miraculously preserved through all these years. Surrounded by the cold horrors of war, the pink shone like a bonfire, chasing away the dementor-like despair. It felt like a warm caress of past memories against her flushed skin; it felt like a fiery kiss of future dreams against her quivering lips.

Black might be the life that his parents had given him at his birth. Red might be the journey that Hogwarts had gifted him at his Sorting. But the man behind these colours was pink - a shade as warm, bright and generous as his kind heart. So when Sirius asked Marlene her favourite colour, the answer tumbled out of her lips.

"Pink."

She froze, both surprised at her own answer and scared that he would see the meaning behind the one word. Sirius merely mumbled something about "girls" and walked away. He didn't ask why.

Somewhere inside her, she wished he had.

* * *

Written for 5 Drabbles Competition Round 3

Pairing: Sirius/Marlene and Prompt: Pink

Written for Blackinnon Competition

Level: Yellow (no prompts)

Written for Unusual Pairings

Pairing: Sirius/Marlene

Written for Prompts Galore Challenge

Prompt: Tricky

Written for Greek Mega Mythology Challenge

Prompt: Write about beauty being in the eye of beholder


	3. Momentarily Jealous

**Momentarily Jealous**

Marlene hated Sirius. She hated that stupid goofy grin he had since the morning. She hated how he was skipping around the room. She hated that annoying sound of his steps as he jumped around like an excited kid. One would think that someone had transfigured his shoes into springs.

"-and she's the perfect one. You should see her and-"

But she hated that Lucinda more. Marlene hadn't seen her but apparently, the girl had the allure of a Veela, the beauty of a Siren and the grace of a Mermaid. Her fingers clenched around the parchment in her hand. She gritted her teeth, restraining herself from not punching the Gryffindor in his face.

"-and when I jumped on her," Sirius excitedly said to an amused Lupin and an awed Pettigrew, "the sounds she made. Oh Merlin, you should-"

"Stop!" Marlene jumped to her feet, throwing the crumbled piece of parchment at the Marauder. "Black, you say one more word about that Lucinda and I swear I'll hex you to oblivion!"

The room fell quiet, shocked by her outburst. Marlene could hear her own heaving breaths. Lupin and Petigrew quickly fled, probably scared of another 'Lily-like' outburst. She knew she was being unreasonable – Sirius had all the rights to speak of his latest girlfriend. But she just couldn't take it.

"And who shall I talk of then?"

'Me!' the thought flashed in her mind but she clammed her mouth shut. Sirius smirked at her, as if knowing what she was thinking of.

"You do know that Lucinda is my new motorcycle, right?"

Marlene opened her mouth to retort but shut it immediately. Suddenly, the words Sirius had been saying made more sense. Her cheeks flamed in embarrassment. She quickly averted her eyes.

"Were you jealous, McKinnon?"

"And if I was?" She froze as the words left her lips. Judging from his widened eyes, Sirius was as surprised from her answer too.

"Then, I would say that you don't have to, definitely not of a motorcycle," he nervously smiled at her. It wasn't his usual cocky grin or that knowing smirk. It was soft, awkward and genuine.

"I- You don't- I wasn't. Jealous, I mean. I wasn't jealous," she rambled as she hurriedly picked her books. Grabbing her bag, she fled from the room, leaving behind a sighing Sirius.

* * *

Written for 5 Drabbles Competition Round 3

Pairing: Sirius/Marlene and Prompt: Skipping

Written for Ultimate Battle

Pairing: min. 200 words of any subject

Written for Unusual Pairings

Pairing: Sirius/Marlene

Written for Prompts Galore Challenge

Prompt: awkward

Written for Greek Mega Mythology Challenge

Prompt: Write about jealousy


	4. An Intoxicating Moment

**An Intoxicating Moment**

The loud cheers and laughs from Lily's Bachelorette Party punctuated a young Celestina Warbeck's crooning. The odour of cigarette and cigar permeated the air. The wild taste of Mulled Mead still lingered on Marlene's tongue. Yet, here she stood – in the half-lit corridor of the pub and facing Sirius Black.

"You shouldn't be here" she said, though there was no bite in her voice.

"Yeah, Prongs' Party was kinda lame so we decided to crash Lily's," he grinned and with a nervous falter, he added, "And I was hoping to bump into you."

They were standing really close. His Firewhisky-scented breath mingled with the Mulled Mead scent of her sigh. Her head swam from the intoxicating cocktail. She felt a sudden thrill rush through her as she gazed at his half-glazed grey eyes. Her mouth felt strangely dry and her skin warm.

"Why?" she whispered, lest her voice broke the fragile moment.

Sirius silently took a step closer. She could feel the warmth of his skin on hers. The thrum of his breath echoed her heartbeat. He slowly tilted his head.

"I wanted to-"

"JAMES!" Lily's shout broke through their intoxicating haze. "Get your mangy arse here!"

And the moment slipped through their grasp. Sirius sighed and rested his forehead against hers. "Looks like Prongs been caught."

"Hmm." She closed her eyes. Her heart still raced inside her chest.

"I need to go."

"Hmm."

And with that, he left, his reluctant steps loud even against the shouting above. But she didn't open her eyes. She couldn't bear to look at him. She slid to the ground, her limbs shaking from the intensity of her emotions. And when she finally opened her eyes, it was to a cold dark corridor.

* * *

Written for 5 Drabbles Competition Round 3

Pairing: Sirius/Marlene and Prompt: Bachelorette's Party

Written for Ultimate Battle

Pairing: min. 200 words of any subject

Written for Unusual Pairings

Pairing: Sirius/Marlene

Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Year One: Astronomy)

Prompt: Write a romance


	5. The Moment Was Gone

**The Moment Was Gone**

"Protego!"

The Slaying Hex collided against the bright shield and rebounded back to its caster. Paying little attention to the fallen Death Eater, Marlene rushed into the fray. Her body screamed for rest, her limbs shook from exhaustion. Yet she ran, she dove, she jumped. With her wand firmly clenched in her hand, she desperately sought her friends.

"Serpensortia!"

Marlene turned with her wand raised defensively. But the Protego spell died on her lips when she saw a blood-red snake rush towards the back of an unsuspecting target.

 _Sirius!_

Her body moved before she could even form a thought. Her legs ran towards the black-haired man. Reaching him, she pushed him away and the next moment, the snake sank its fang in her throat. Marlene screamed as her body exploded in unfathomable agony. It felt like fire was coursing through her veins, burning very inch of her to crisp. She clenched her fists while her back arched in pain. She barely heard the Reducto blasting the Death-Eaters and the snake away.

"Marlene," Sirius patted her cheek with shaking hands, pulling her on his lap.

She opened her mouth but blood gurgled out of her mouth. She desperately grabbed Sirius' blood-soaked hands.

"Hold on, Marlene," his voice trembled. "Prongs's dismantling the apparition ward."

They say that your whole life flashes in front of your eyes when you're about to die. Nothing of the sort happened to Marlene. All she could feel was the cursed agony of the snake's venom as well as the suffocating fear of death. Tears of desperation swelled in her eyes as she looked at Sirius' teary ones. She didn't want to die! She wanted to know if Sirius truly liked her, she wanted to be with the mischievous Gryffindor, she wanted to live her life by his side...

She gasped as she opened her mouth to speak. Her body convulsed in pain. Her laboured breaths resounded like death knells in her ears. Her hands frantically clutched Sirius' torn robes.

"Prongs, quick!" he pleaded through sobs. "Please hold on, Marlene. For me! Please. I never told you before but I truly l-"

But she heard no more.

For the moment was gone.

* * *

Written for 5 Drabbles Competition Round 3

Pairing: Sirius/Marlene and Prompt: snake

Written for Ultimate Battle

Pairing: min. 200 words of any subject

Written for Unusual Pairings

Pairing: Sirius/Marlene

Written for Prompts Galore Challenge

Prompt: slaying

Written for Ultimate Frog Card Challenge

Prompt: Write about someone committing a selfless act to protect someone.


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